Speaking about the teams' lawsuit to block construction of the American Dream -- the mall and entertainment center planned for the Meadowlands -- Christie said the lawsuit is to blame for keeping jobs away from New Jersey residents.

“If the sports teams, the Jets and the Giants, would get out of the way and stop caring more about their billionaire sports owners than they care about working man like you having a great job up there so you can put food on the table. ... The Jets and the Giants make enough money don’t you think?” Christie said.

Go ahead, blame the billionaires. Nothing like a little class warfare to get the crowd going. The trouble is, the insult is a big red herring -- a favorite tactic of our governor (see: the "Dr. Kevorkian" budget episode).

The Giants' and Jets' main concern is the real traffic nightmare the American Dream complex threatens to create. The complex is expected draw 55 million visitors and 5 million cars per year to a part of the state already infamous for its clogged roadways. And when American Dream-goers and football enthusiasts meet on Route 3 on game days? We're talking parking lot as far as the eye can see.

The American Dream redefined: pigging out at an ugly mall in a New Jersey swampThe developers taking over the troubled Xanadu retail and entertainment complex in the New Jersey Meadowlands reportedly plan to rename the complex "American Dream @ Meadowlands." Ledger Live host Brian Donohue examines the origin of the term "American Dream" to explain why the new name makes an absolute mockery of what was once a beautiful ideal.

The proposed 2.9 million-square-foot project is set to open in fall 2013 and will offer a 16-story indoor ski hill, a water park and an indoor ice rink. Other elements include nearly 1.7 million square feet of retail space and 150,000 square feet of fine dining and restaurants, according to a news release.

The teams' request seems straightforward: Avoid the traffic mess by shutting down the American Dream complex on the approximately 20 Sundays per year when the teams host games.

That suggestion is consistent with Bergen County's blue laws, which require local malls to close on Sundays. And it's within the teams' rights to make the request, according to a contract signed by the mall's developers, giving the Giants and Jets the right to block projects that could negatively impact their operations.

Surely, lawyer Christie understands the value of a contract.

In his speech at the Republican National Convention, Christie touted his own ability to forge compromise. Now would be a good time to whip out that party trick. By fanning the flames of conflict instead, Christie may only lengthen the standoff over the development -- and in that case, the ones who get burned are those workers looking for their American Dream.